FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 2011

For more information, please contact:

Chad Huyser
641-621-7896
chuyser@lely.com
Kelley Crosbie
515-331-1700 ext. 4
kelley@akcmarketing.com

The latest Lely innovation Lely Astronaut A4 robotic milking system

Pella, Iowa (September 2011) Lely is proud to announce the latest in dairy innovation: the Lely Astronaut A4
robotic milking system. The first public showing in the United States will take place at World Dairy Expo in Madison,
Wisconsin, Oct. 4 8, 2011.

Although this new Astronaut is filled with innovative features, the most revealing is Lelys vision to take dairy
automation one step further, creating a product that allows more freedom for the cow, more control for the farmer and
produces more milk as a result. The Astronaut A4 robotic milking system is truly the natural way of milking.

The main revolutionary feature of the Lely Astronaut A4 cow box is the walkthrough design called the I-flow concept.
Allowing the cow to walk straight in and out of the box eliminates any unnecessary obstacles, further reducing the
threshold for the cow to enter the cow unit at her own pace. The spacious cow-friendly design and positioning of the
cow unit allows for continuous interaction with the rest of the herd and eliminates unnecessary stress on the cow.

The Astronaut A4 is set up as a modular concept. A central unit features a central vacuum and cleaning system for up
to two cow units. It is self-contained and a configuration with two cow units can span a distance up to 90 feet, which
ensures much more freedom and space for the positioning of the units in the barn. Due to its modular design, it is a
valid option both for family farms of 600,000 pounds, up to farms that produce well over 20 million pounds of milk
annually. The Lely Astronaut A4 comes in two models the Manager and the Operator versions both with
additional options to configure the Astronaut A4 design to the specific needs of the farmer.

In addition to these innovations, the Astronaut A4 features a new milk-friendly pump, which transports the milk to the
tank without rotating impellers, which can damage the milk. To reduce downtime as much as possible, key wear parts
have been changed into easy-to-replace cartridge systems.

Continued
PRESS RELEASE


Lely has explicitly refrained from automating the actions of milking itself; instead, the company continues to build a
system around the natural behaviors of the cow to help ensure cows like to be milked, and are milked within a low-
threshold system. Contrary to what seems to be the current market trend, we strongly believe this is the way forward
in automating dairy farms in an animal-friendly way, said Alexander van der Lely, CEO of the Lely Group.

Successful robotic milking is a new style of farm management, where the decisions shift from the farmer to the cow.
Farmers can control many factors on an individual cow basis; factors that cannot be controlled in a conventionally
milked herd. Through Lelys dedicated T4C management program, a brief overview of herd performance is generated,
providing producers with a report on those cows requiring attention. It allows producers to focus on the cows that need
him/her the most. The T4C management program is now also available on the robot itself, and therefore available for
management on the spot. It comes with an optional dynamic feeding module (DLM). This system automatically
changes feed allocations, per cow, based on optimum cost benefit ratio to maximize profits.

Like all Lelys dairy products, the new milking system is available through Lelys unique dedicated sales and service
network, its Lely Center Dealer concept with more than 160 facilities covering over 20 countries worldwide.

For more information, visit www.thenaturalwayofmilking.com.

About Lely USA
Lely USA is part of the Lely Group based in Maassluis, The Netherlands. Lely strives for improvement in the financial
and social well-being of customers by being the company in the dairy/cattle market that offers pioneering, state-of-the-
art farming solutions. For more than 60 years, Lely has been well known for providing products, services and
solutions that are relevant and meaningful to cattle producers, because they have been specifically designed to meet
their needs. As a result, Lely is the acknowledged market leader in automated milking systems and holds a strong
position in the grassland machinery sector.

More information about Lely dairy industry innovations is available at Lelys website, www.lely.com, or by calling
1-866-LELY-USA. You can also visit Lelys Facebook page (Facebook.com/LelyUSA), Twitter page (@DairyRobot) or
blog at www.lelylife.com. To watch videos featuring Lelys products, visit http://www.youtube.com/lelydairylife.

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